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Friday, February 23, 2007

ROMAN ONGPIN

His bronze statue stands proudly on the street named after him — stretching from Juan Luna Street to Plaza de Sta. Cruz.

It's a busy narrow street that is bounded by a historical church on either end — Binondo Church on the west and Sta. Cruz Church on the east; churches that were initially built to serve Binondo’s growing Chinese converts to Catholicism.

Many local Manilans to this day would even nonchalantly refer to the entire Binondo district or Chinatown as Ongpin.

But who was Roman Ongpin?

The only information I could find about this man is that he founded El 82, an artist supply store in Binondo, which was managed by his son, Alfonso.

The walls of this store were lined with some of the finest collections of Philippine paintings such as those by the nineteenth-century masters, Juan Luna y Novicio and Felix Resurrection Hidalgo. There were also paintings by Fabian de la Rosa and later on, by his nephew, Fernando Amorsolo.

So, essentially, besides being a successful businessman, Roman Ongpin was a patron of the arts. However, according to Tsinoy.com, there was another side to this man — the heroic. He was supposedly an intrepid supporter of the Philippine Revolution of 1898; generously providing the Katipuneros with money, foods and other important necessities from his business establishments.

The Spaniards were completely oblivious to his involvement because Ongpin appeared as a staunch ally of the administration. He was so good at such pretense he was appointed teniente de mestizos of Binondo for two years. Even during the early American colonial rule, Roman Ongpin remained active in the revolution until he was caught and imprisoned from December 6, 1900 to March 23,1901.

A true lover of the arts and freedom, Roman Ongpin risked his life, the welfare of his family, and his personal fortune by having supported the Philippine Revolution.

"However, according to Tsinoy.com, there was another side to this man — the heroic. He was supposedly an intrepid supporter of the Philippine Revolution of 1898; generously provided the Katipuneros with money, foods and other important necessities from his business establishments."

You and me both -- completely ignorant of the man behind the name of this famous street in Binondo. It wasn't un til I came across this statue that I was inspired to know more about this man. Nonetheless, there isn't much available info about him.

"Aside from the mestizos who were active in the propaganda and later the revolutionary movements, other Chinese mestizos often mentioned in historical sources to be among the financial supporters of the revolution include Roman Ongpin, Luis Yangco, Mariano Limjap, Telesforo Chuidian and Flaviano Yenko. There is even mention in La Guerra de Filipinas by Ricardo Burguete of the Limjap brothers, Mariano and Jacinto, donating a staggering one million pesos for the battalion of Manila volunteers."

What surprises me is that a lot of streets in Manila are renamed regularly. Ongpin street was formerly called Calle Sacristia because the sacristy of Binondo Church opened on that street. It was renamed in 1915 to Roman Ongpin.So Roman Ongpin might loose his place in the future to someone else...

It is a sad phenomemon, indeed, Dine. I say sad because it feels as if a certan part of history is taken away whenever a change of name occurs.

The street where I was born and grew up was chnaged to Tomas Mapua. Although, this man's school I attended as a youngster, I still feel as if an important aspect of my existence was purged when I discovered that the original name of Misericordia for that street no longer existed.

And please do share with us some of your findings, Noypetes. What surprises me is the little information available for Roman Ongpin.

I was planing to go to Bahay Tsinoy yesterday, but when I got there, there was a huge crowd of teenage students so I decided to come back on a regular weekday when least crowded. Hopefully, they sell interesting history books.

interesting historical info regarding ongpin. I was actually there in pinas about a month ago and checked out what I thought was chinatown, but all I saw were jewelry/gold dealers. I don't know if I was on the wrong street or what, but it was walking distance from the quiapo church.

thanks for sharing this info. i never even thought where the street's name came from. roman ongpin certainly lived an exciting life during the spanish period. if i were living during that time, i'd like to do what he did--making the enemy believe he's one of them when he's really on the other side.

From what Sidney had told me, Wil, Ivan had just raised his Chinatown tour price, but only because he added more food stops to the itenerary, which only makes it an even more exciting and fun thing walking tour :)

nice one, very informative. I've been living in Ongpin for almost 20 years now and have memorized every single store located within chinatown (in fact I grew up here) but didn't have any idea of who the streetname was named after. Thanks for the information!

Congrats on your great research about the great Chinoy Roman Ongpin. Very few Chinoys & Pinoys knew who him. All we know that Ongpin is the street where great Chinese restaurants are; Ma Mon Luk at Salazar, Manosa restaurant for you "maki" and "machang", the Chinese food court at "tulay ng Ongpin". "Champoy" & "Dikyam". Chinese gold and for "the boys" the infamous skin show at Dragon & King's Theaters during the late 60s!!!

During the time of Magsaysay, his CIA backup put the blame on the Chinese & Chinoys, to "reposition" the minds & hearts of the Filipinos what Socialist like the HUKs, Claro Recto, Ka Amado Hernandez, ect... claimed that the gringos are actually running our government & country. We were the only country in the world, during Magsaysay era's immigration law, discriminates a single ethnic group, the Chinese. One example: Chinese, were the only alien in the Philippines, when married to a Filipino, can not be a citizen forever, can not put up a business (most of the Chinese business were under their spouses) and will always be under investigation by the Philippine Immigration!!!

A General in the Philippine revolution was Chinese, General Jose Ignacio Paua, the first Filipino printer, Tomas Pinpin, philantropist like; Antonio Tanbonting, Limjap, Tuason, ect...

# Born on Feb. 28, 1847, on Nueva St., Binondo, Manila. Was born to Simon Ongpin & Sinforosa Tanbensiang.# He had a brief stint at Colegio de San Juan de Letran.# March 1, 1882 he founded "El 82" an art supply, on Rosario St., Binondo. The first merchant to initiate "Fix Price".# He furnished Bonifacio's Katipunan with funds, foodstuff & other supplies.# 90% of the indemnity paid by the insurance firm after his store was burned on Feb. 6, 1898, he donated it to Aquinaldo.# He opened a new store on Colon St., which became prosperus. 13 years after his 5 storey building was constructed by Architect Arcadio Arellano at Jolo St.(now Juan Luna St.)# When the gringos discovered his revolutionary activities, he was imprisoned at Fort Bonifacio on Dec. 6, 1900, then released on March 23, 1901.# He married Pascuala Domingo, the granddaughter of the great painter, Damian Domingo, by her he had 19 children.# Later he married Luisa de Guzman, with whom he had 3 children.# On his deathbed, he requested that he be dressed in "Barong Tagalog"# He died Dec. 10, 1912, in Santa Mesa, Manila.# A business street in manila, "Calle Sacrista" was re-named Ongpin St. on Sept. 17, 1915.

Once again Eric, Thank you for giving me a great pleasure of being able to write facts about our country that are in my "Baul" waiting to be exposed.

Life in Manila as observed by a former New Yorker who with a laptop and camera has reinvented himself as a storyteller. Winner of the PHILIPPINE BLOG AWARDS: Best Photo Blog in 2007 and three Best Single Post awards in 2008.